Improvement in railroad-switches



J. C. CONKEY.

Improvement in Railroad-Switches.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JONAS C. GONKEY, OF NORTH WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, SAM- UEL M. ANDREWS, OF SAME PLAGE, AND CHARLES H. HILL, OF DUN- KIRK, OHIO.

` IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-SWITCHES.

Specification .forming part of Letters Patent No. 131,505, dated September 24, 1872.

and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Frogless Switches for Railroads 5 and that the following is a full, clear, and exact specification thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art Vto make and use the said invention.

My invention relates to an improved construction of that class of railroad-switches in which two pairs of switch-rails are used in place of the single pair usedin the ordinary railroad-switch, for the purpose of dispensing with the frog .ordinarily required; and it consists in the combination, with the two pairs of switch-rails, of two rock-plates united, respectively, to the separate pairs of switchrails, and each connected to a center-plate, which is connected by a rod to the bottom ol' the ordinary switch-lever, so that the movement of the switch-lever causes the simultaneous movement of both pairs of the switchrails ont-o the main or side track, as may be required, the whole forming a simple and cheap construction for operating the switch, and being easy to work and exact in its operation, With little liability to get out of repair.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of track, showing a switch embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 is a side view of the switch-stand. A A and O O C represent the stationary rails of the main track, and D D D', the stationary rails of the side track, which are spiked to the ties on the road-bed, in the position shown, in the ordinary manner. B B and E E arev the two pairs of switch-rails, which are pivoted at their rear ends on the ties NG, and which, when in the position indicated by full lines in drawing, from" an unbroken main track, and when in the position indicated by the dotted lines B B E Ef, form the connection between the main and side track. On the cross piece F, which may be an ordinary tie extended at one side for the purpose, is pivoted the rockplate J, which is connected at its outer edge by a rod, d, with the switch-rails E E, and on the tie H is a similar rock-plate, I, which is also connected at its outer edge by a rod, e, with the switch-rails BB. On the sill-piece G, on which the switch-stand M is placed, is pivoted the center-plate K, which turns on a center-pin, k, and which is connected on one side, by the two rods b b, with the two extremities of the rock-plate I, and on the other side by the two crossed rods c c with the eX- tremities of the rock-plate J, while another rod, a, connects it on oneside with the bottom of the switch-lever L;

From this description of the arrangement of the several parts it will b'e seen that on moving the switch-lever L in the direction indicated by arrows in Fig. 2, the center-plate K will be turned in the direction indicated by arrow by the rod a, and the rock-plates I and J will also be moved in the directions indicated by the rods b b and c c, connecting them with the plate K, which will cause a movement of the switch-rails B B E E into the position shown by dotted lines, as will be readily seen, and it is evident that a reverse motion of the switch-lever will m'ove the switch-rails back to their original position on the main track.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the switch-rails B E, rock-plates I J, center-plate K, and switch-lever L, the several parts being connected by rods a b c d, as shown, and the arrangement and operation of the parts being substantially as specified.

. As evidence ofthe foregoing witness my hand this 3d day of June, A. D. 1872.

JONAS C. CONKEY.

Witnesses:

JOHN JOHNSON, CALVIN E. STUMM. 

